Method and system for dynamically plotting an element on an image using a table

Abstract

A method and system for dynamically plotting an element on an image using a table. A page background is created using the image. A table is created containing the element. The table contains a first buffer row, an element row and a second buffer row. The first buffer row positions the element in the table. The element row displays the element and the second buffer row positions any additional characters on the page below the image. The element is overlaid on the image by displaying the table containing the element over the page background containing the image.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for dynamically plotting an element on an image, comprising the steps of: receiving plotting coordinates for the element;   receiving the image and dimensions for the image;   creating a page background using the image; creating a table containing the element; and   displaying the table over the page background so that the element is plotted on the image.   
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating a page background using the image comprises: positioning the image at a predetermined offset within the page background; and   filling the page background outside of the image with background filler.   
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating a table comprises: creating a first buffer row;   creating an element row, the element row located below the first buffer row; and   creating a second buffer row, the second buffer row located below the element row.   
     
     
       4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plotting coordinates comprise a horizontal coordinate and a vertical coordinate and wherein the step of creating a first buffer row comprises: creating a first cell of the first buffer row, the first cell having a width determined by the horizontal coordinate and a height determined by the vertical coordinate; and   displaying a transparent character in the first cell.   
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of creating an element row comprises: creating a second cell of the element row; and   displaying the element in the second cell.   
     
     
       6. The method of claim 3, wherein the plotting coordinates comprise a vertical coordinate, wherein the dimensions for the image comprise an image height, and wherein the height of the second buffer row is determined by the image height and the vertical coordinate. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of plotting a second element on the image by: receiving plotting coordinates for the second element;   creating a second table containing the second element; and   using the second table to overlay the second element on the image.   
     
     
       8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of removing the table before the step of using the second table to overlay the second element. 
     
     
       9. The method of claim 7, wherein the plotting coordinates for the second element comprise a horizontal coordinate and a vertical coordinate and the dimensions for the image comprise an image height, and wherein the step of creating a second table comprises the steps of: creating a first cell of a first buffer row, the first cell of the first buffer row having a width determined by the horizontal coordinate of the second element and a height determined by the vertical coordinate of the second element;   displaying a transparent character in the first cell of the first buffer row;   creating a second cell of an element row;   displaying the second element in the second cell of the element row; and   creating a second buffer row, the second buffer row having a height determined by the difference between the image height and the vertical coordinate of the second element.   
     
     
       10. The method of claim 1, wherein the page background and the table are created by a server and transferred to a client for display by the client. 
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10, wherein the page background is cached in memory by the client. 
     
     
       12. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for dynamically plotting an element on an image, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a horizontal coordinate and a vertical coordinate for the element;   (b) receiving the image and an image height (c) creating a page background using the image by (i) positioning the image at a pre-determined offset within the page background; and   (ii) filling an area of the page background outside of the image with a background filler;     (d) (d) creating a table to position the element on the image, the table having a first buffer row, an element row and a second buffer row; and displaying the table over the page background so that the element is plotted on the image.     (e) displaying the table over the page background so that the element is plotted on the image.   
     
     
       13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the step of creating a table comprises the steps of: creating a first cell of the first buffer row, the first cell of the first buffer row having a width determined by the horizontal coordinate of the element and a height determined by the vertical coordinate of the element;   creating a second cell of the element row;   displaying the element in the second cell of the element row;   creating a second cell of the second buffer row having a height determined by the difference between the image height and the vertical coordinate of the element; and   displaying a label for the element in the second cell of the second buffer row.   
     
     
       14. A method for dynamically plotting an element on an image for display, comprising the steps of: receiving plotting coordinates for the element;   creating a table containing the element;   receiving the image;   using the image as a table background; and   displaying the table including the table background.   
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14, wherein a server receives the image and the plotting coordinates for the element;   the server creates the table and the table background;   the server transfers the table and the table background to a client; and   the client displays the table and the table background.   
     
     
       16. The method of claim 14, wherein the element has an element height and an element width;   the image has an image height and an image width; and   the plotting coordinates comprise a horizontal coordinate and a vertical component.   
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of creating a table comprises the steps of: creating a first cell of a first buffer row of the table, the first cell having a width determined by the horizontal coordinate of the element and a height determined by the vertical coordinate of the element;   creating a third cell of the first buffer row, the third cell having a width determined by the image width and the horizontal coordinate of the element; and   displaying a transparent character in the first cell of the first buffer row.   
     
     
       18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of creating a table further comprises the steps of: creating a second cell of an element row of the table; and   displaying the element in the second cell of the element row.   
     
     
       19. The method of claim 16, wherein the element label has an element label height, and wherein the step of creating a table further comprises the steps of: creating a second cell of a second buffer row of the table, the second cell having a height determined by the difference between the image height and the vertical coordinate of the element, minus the element height; and   displaying an element label table containing an element label in the second cell of the second buffer row.